title: Reappraisal as a mediator in the link between 5-HTTLPR and social anxiety symptoms.
abstract: Social anxiety symptoms have been related to (a) polymorphisms in the serotonin-transporter gene-promoter region (also, serotonin-transporter-linked polymorphic region; 5-HTTLPR) and (b) reduced use of adaptive forms of emotion regulation such as reappraisal. It is not known, however, whether reappraisal functions as a mediator in the link between 5-HTTLPR and social anxiety. To address this issue, 182 unselected community volunteers were tested for 5-HTTLPR status, and self-report measures of social anxiety symptoms and reappraisal use were obtained. Relative to other participants, those with two low-expressing alleles displayed increased social anxiety and decreased reappraisal. As predicted, the influence of 5-HTTLPR on social anxiety symptoms was transmitted via reappraisal, and this effect of 5-HTTLPR was observed using two different measures of reappraisal. These findings suggest that cognitive reappraisal may be an intermediate phenotype of the social anxiety spectrum, and that individuals with low-expressing 5-HTTLPR genotypes may benefit the most from cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy because they do not appear to engage as frequently as others in reappraisal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Babeş-Bolyai University.
authors.forename: Andrei C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Miu
authors.forename: Romana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vulturar
authors.forename: Adina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chiş
authors.forename: Loredana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ungureanu
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Gross
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D001007:Anxiety / Q000235:genetics*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000235:genetics*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012919:Social Behavior
chemical_list: D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins